Alonso to miss Monaco to race Indy 500

[yodasarmpit]

This is big.

At first I thought it was a late April fools. But I guess it makes sense, obviously McLaren are not going to be a force in F1 this year so this may help to make Alonso feel loved and help retain him for the next year.


Source
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/39576099

[Bagwan]

Fred is good , no doubt , but is he that good that he can just step in and win ?
I love his moxy here , diving right into the deep end , and big kudos to McHonda for making this happen .

This is gonna be great for the sport in the US .


Would the Indy bunch let him win ?
I'd think they might let him run up front for a while , but it might take more than one try at it to get the second crown of the three desired .

It'll be a long day of racing , but I'll be watching it all if he's there .

[Storm]

It's a big risk, I hope it works out for him. Unfortunately it means he'll skip the 1 track where the McLaren might not feel the lack of power that much

[mr_swiss]

Precursor to F1 retirement and a rookie season in Indy Car next year?

[Jag_Warrior]

This is big.

At first I thought it was a late April fools.

That's what I thought too.

Skipping Monaco to run in the Indy 500?! This is the biggest driver news that the IRL has ever had.

[Zico]

A lot of people one BBC's message boards are criticizing Alonso's perceived 'lack of commitment' to McLaren and while I also agree that Monaco would be Alonso's one real hope of getting a great result.... I do think this is great news and I even wonder if McLaren might have come up with the idea to keep him happy?

Rookies can win Indy500, especially rookies as good as Alonso, but he would also need a lot of luck to pull something like that off..

I'm happy for him, he deserves a competitive ride in at least one racing formula to keep him interested and motivated.

I might even watch it this year! :)

[gm99]

I doubt Alonso is interested in running an entire IndyCar season. He has always expressed his desire to win the triple crown (Monaco GP, Indy 500 and Le Mans 24 victories), so I think he will focus on the Brickyard stateside.

[Tazio]

Fred is good , no doubt , but is he that good that he can just step in and win ?
I love his moxy here , diving right into the deep end , and big kudos to McHonda for making this happen .

This is gonna be great for the sport in the US .


Would the Indy bunch let him win ?
I'd think they might let him run up front for a while , but it might take more than one try at it to get the second crown of the three desired .

It'll be a long day of racing , but I'll be watching it all if he's there .
It is a stretch but the McHonda is such crap, what is a one race sabbatical going to really cost him. He will need some luck to get his likeness on the Borg-Warner Trophy I'll be watching. Actually to get the chance to pull for Montoya again. Now I'll pulling for an FA, JPM 1,2. :bandit::burnout:

[Stan Reid]

Honda has a very good Indy car engine so that will be a change for him.

[Bagwan]

It is a stretch but the McHonda is such crap, what is a one race sabbatical going to really cost him. He will need some luck to get his likeness on the Borg-Warner Trophy I'll be watching. Actually to get the chance to pull for Montoya again. Now I'll pulling for an FA, JPM 1,2. :bandit::burnout:

FA , JPM , and then Takuma Sato for that third place . I like it .

[Stan Reid]

Alesi and Barrichello both ran in the 2012 500. Barrichelllo did quite well and led some laps. Due to an underpowered car, Alesi was not able to show his full potential.

[The Black Knight]

Delighted for Fernando. It's such a shame he has not had the machinery to win in F1 over the last 12 years. One of the best drivers ever. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him win the Indy 500.

[truefan72]

It's a big risk, I hope it works out for him. Unfortunately it means he'll skip the 1 track where the McLaren might not feel the lack of power that much

My thoughts exactly.
It would be some kind of perverse irony if for some reason the mclaren runs up front in the race and either podium or win the race. The one bit of glory for them this year and he misses it.
I am no fan of ovals at all and i think doing indy is a big risk. I would have rather he competed in LeMans.
But best of luck to him and, I will probably watch parts of it and root for Alonso, JPM and Sato.

[journeyman racer]

I like this news. Hopefully it's a sign of things to come. F1 drivers getting into other stuff.


Precursor to F1 retirement and a rookie season in Indy Car next year?

Cherry picking the biggest Indy car race.

[Tazio]

FA , JPM , and then Takuma Sato for that third place, I like it . That would equal his 3rd place in the US Grand Prix 2004....at Indy! :cool:

[Koz]

Vandoorne has announced that he will be doing 24 hours of Spa rather than the Hungarian GP!

[AndyL]

Button cofirmed as replacement.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/39599645

[Bagwan]

That would equal his 3rd place in the US Grand Prix 2004....at Indy! :cool:

Got Taku's autograph in Montreal in '04 in the paddock .
I'd love to see him win it , if Zo and Pablum can't .
He's a cool little dude .

[Bagwan]

Button cofirmed as replacement.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/formula1/39599645

Bunsen , the safe bet , gets the drive .
Good choice , but they could have stirred things up a little more , and made hay while the sun shines on this idea in the dawn of a pretty dark looking outlook for this season .

They've got all of us F1 guys thinking of watching Indy , and could have had all the Indy fans watching Monaco , for the ultimate crossover viewing for the two sports , had they subbed in one of the Indy guys for Monaco .
From here , it looks like a HUGE missed marketing opportunity .

HUGE , like , really big in a large kind of way .

Bigger than Bunsen , even .

[Koz]

There will be quite a few former-F1 drivers at Indy.

But, realistically how many drivers would take a risk in coming for a one off at Monaco, of all places, with McLaren in its current state?

If it was a great car, sure... But you know, right now it seems like a lose-lose situation, when you're looking at coming last; and it's not great for McLaren to have a "star" driver to come in and be at the tail of the grid or have DNFs either, it might end up hurting everyone's reputation by the end of the weekend.

[Tazio]

Got Taku's autograph in Montreal in '04 in the paddock .
I'd love to see him win it , if Zo and Pablum can't .
He's a cool little dude .Was that the infamous time Taku ejaculated: "No pen, no pen! :dozey:

[Rollo]

But, realistically how many drivers would take a risk in coming for a one off at Monaco, of all places, with McLaren in its current state?


I will.

If McLaren wants me to drive their car, I'll do it :D

[Stan Reid]

Unless Chevrolet has a new package, I expect Alonzo will qualify in the top 6.

[steveaki13]

I am really excited to see this. I would like to see Fred have a whole season over there if he does leave F1. I would like him to stay in F1 but it is seemingly difficult to find a decent team for him.

Seeing Jenson in Monaco will be fun. They will hope his experience counts.

[zako85]

It's really boring that they're giving the vacated seat to Button. Button is near the end of his career. Shouldn't McLaren spend more time looking for younger talent? In my humble opinion, one extremely obvious choice is Seb Buemi, who is now basically the hottest commodity in open-wheel sports outside of F1. Let's see the resume:

2014 WEC championship winner for Toyota (with the rest of the team of course)
2014-2015 Inaugural Formula E season championship runner-up
2015-2016 Formula E season champion
2016-2017 Formula E season leader

[Koz]

I will.

If McLaren wants me to drive their car, I'll do it :D


You sure about that? ;)

https://img.clipartfest.com/e7e305c416c83845bff1cd045276984c_-peter-griffin-broken-neck-broken-neck-clipart_200-200.jpeg

[A FONDO]

Delighted for Fernando. It's such a shame he has not had the machinery to win in F1 over the last 12 years. One of the best drivers ever. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him win the Indy 500.

It's only his fault he always makes the worst possible teams transfers.

[Bagwan]

Was that the infamous time Taku ejaculated: "No pen, no pen! :dozey:

Yeah , it was great .
My wife spotted him first and yelled my name , saying "It's Taku!" .
The hundred or so others around all looked at me , as did Takuma , as it seemed I must know him , from her immediate reaction .

But , of course I didn't , and in my rush up to him , I hadn't grabbed the sharpie , so handing him my program became instantly comical .

I think it was probably the only ballpoint autograph he signed that day .
It was a good laugh .

[Bagwan]

There will be quite a few former-F1 drivers at Indy.

But, realistically how many drivers would take a risk in coming for a one off at Monaco, of all places, with McLaren in its current state?

If it was a great car, sure... But you know, right now it seems like a lose-lose situation, when you're looking at coming last; and it's not great for McLaren to have a "star" driver to come in and be at the tail of the grid or have DNFs either, it might end up hurting everyone's reputation by the end of the weekend.

Putting it another way , though , a lot of those guys dream of the chance , and they wouldn't have much pressure , in a way , with a car seen as far off the pace as it is .
Getting anywhere , even only to the end of the race would surely look like a win to most out there .

Don't forget that those guys from the Indycar series race street tracks regularly , so they shouldn't be in water quite as deep as Fred may be on an oval .

That all said , Jensen shouldn't cost too much in carbon fiber , which could be a factor there .

[Tazio]

Yeah , it was great .
My wife spotted him first and yelled my name , saying "It's Taku!" .
The hundred or so others around all looked at me , as did Takuma , as it seemed I must know him , from her immediate reaction .

But , of course I didn't , and in my rush up to him , I hadn't grabbed the sharpie , so handing him my program became instantly comical .

I think it was probably the only ballpoint autograph he signed that day .
It was a good laugh .Great moment dude. You know I'm really missing those V10 days. Back then BMW developed a winning engine in it's second season. Plus is was fun to watch Honda's "Suzuka Specials" go blamo! :grenade: :beer:

[Klinsman]

Got Taku's autograph in Montreal in '04 in the paddock .
I'd love to see him win it , if Zo and Pablum can't .
He's a cool little dude .
One of my favourite Sato memories is him taking Alonso for position at the Canadian GP at the last corner, the Super Aguri was doing a great job against Fernando's McLaren.

Ah found the clip!

https://youtu.be/c0Z7RQO2xyQ

Sent from my SM-A300FU using Tapatalk

[Tazio]

:stareup: That was a crazy race, and all credit to Sato, but Fred had damaged his car on the first lap. That race was a huge cluster f@#k, including a lurid crash by Kubica. All race strategies went out the window. After four safety cars Sato pitted from fifth with 15 laps to go, and cut through the field came back to sixth on fresh rubber after falling to 11th. .Sato also finished ahead of both factory Hondas, and also passed Kimi, and Ralf. With all the problems he had it was a miracle that Fred brought that ride home in the points

[Tazio]

Alright McJPM


“It’s a lot of people out there,” Montoya said. “It is weird because you go out there and you get the announcement then you have a picture and then you’ve got like 15 minutes and then you walk to the car and you get in and you start. It is so many people around you. I think that’s a little bit hard for him from what he is used to in Formula 1 and he has been doing that for a lot of years. We started the same year together when I was there in F1, so he’s been doing it for a long time. It’s just you have your own space and people really respect your space and here no, the fans, the sponsors, everybody are there and everybody wants a picture and you’ve got to please them."

Read more: http://autoweek.com/article/indycar/juan-pablo-montoya-looking-forward-competing-against-fernando-alonso-indy-500#ixzz4f0ZIUPMu
Jaun knows he has been there. Reallllly looking forward to this race!
My home-boy Jimmie Johnson said:

“For me, no, my window has closed,” he answered emphatically.
That doesn’t mean it always was closed for him.
“I was looking into it seriously years ago,” Johnson said. “Then Chani (Johnson’s wife) just kind of worked out a deal.”
The deal was that Johnson could pursue it as long as the married couple did not have kids.
So the Indy 500 window officially closed for Johnson in 2010 when his oldest daughter, Genevieve, was born. Johnson’s second daughter, Lydia, was born in 2013.
“Pre-kids, I couldn’t get it done,” Johnson said. “Until IndyCar decides to put some kind of roof on their cars or protect the driver’s head, it’s just, from our family discussions, it’s out of the question.”
So this year, as in every past year and every year in the foreseeable future, Johnson will simply watch the Indy 500 like any other motorsports fan. He did say that he thinks the addition of Alonso to the field makes it much more interesting.

Risky business it is!

[Bagwan]

You got tickets yet , Taz ?

[Tazio]

You got tickets yet , Taz ?
Yeah, I mean no! I'll be watching on tv. A little more interest for me this year.
I see your boy Jacques has thrown a little gas on the fire:
http://www.foxsports.com/motor/story/jacques-villeneuve-breaks-drivers-down-into-two-classes-alonsos-and-rosbergs-042217
Always with the controversy

[Bagwan]

Yeah, I mean no! I'll be watching on tv. A little more interest for me this year.
I see your boy Jacques has thrown a little gas on the fire:
http://www.foxsports.com/motor/story/jacques-villeneuve-breaks-drivers-down-into-two-classes-alonsos-and-rosbergs-042217
Always with the controversy

I take it you don't agree ?
The Hulk deems gladiator Zo crazy for this , and I haven't noticed you ripping him any new holes .

You goin' all soft and squishy on us , Taz-man ?

JV's always great for a good quote .
That's clearly why they hired him .
I love it .

[Tazio]

I take it you don't agree ?
The Hulk deems gladiator Zo crazy for this , and I haven't noticed you ripping him any new holes .

You goin' all soft and squishy on us , Taz-man ?



I love it .
Hulk, and Rogro responded to an announcement and said they wouldn't do it, just like Danny boy said it was good. Jacques had to put the whole field into this Rossberg, Alonso category. It is not that simple, yet easy to say when you are not active in either series, thus easy to be controversial, but who cares?

JV's always great for a good quote .
.
That's why they hired him
Spanish daily AS.? :confused:

Anyway I think it is a great move, but it only happened because the McHonda sucks so bad. And Baggy for what it is worth, I'm not interested in the shit-talking going on around the race. Just the actual race is entertainment enough for me.

[Bagwan]

Just Yankin' yer chain , buddy .

But JV has been both places , with a WDC and an Indy 505 win , so he's got two-thirds of what Zo wants , and a second place in the other third .
Thus , he has an opinion that is worth hearing .

He really only burned the two Nicos , and it was in direct response to the suggestion that it wasn't a good idea .


I can't wait to see how he does .

[AndyL]

Just Yankin' yer chain , buddy .

But JV has been both places , with a WDC and an Indy 505 win , so he's got two-thirds of what Zo wants , and a second place in the other third .
Thus , he has an opinion that is worth hearing .

He really only burned the two Nicos , and it was in direct response to the suggestion that it wasn't a good idea .


I can't wait to see how he does .

JV only has one third, he never won in Monaco :)

[Owain]

It's only his fault he always makes the worst possible teams transfers.

Sadly... I'm a huge fan of Alonso, but he should not have left McLaren at the end of 2008, should not have left Ferrari at the end of 2014.... bad moves.

[Bagwan]

JV only has one third, he never won in Monaco :)

I guess that depends on how you define that triple .

I get your point , but the WDC , the CART Indy 505 , and the second at LeMans is at least a bucket of balls closer to the long drive .

[Tazio]

The Triple Crown of Motorsport is winning:

the Indy 500

the Monaco Grand Prix

the 24 Hours of Le Mans

JPM is the only active driver that has won 2 of the 3

[Bagwan]

No need to discuss this topic any more then .

[Jag_Warrior]

Sadly... I'm a huge fan of Alonso, but he should not have left McLaren at the end of 2008, should not have left Ferrari at the end of 2014.... bad moves.

Although I'm not a fan of his, I have to admit that he's one of the most talented and gritty drivers of this era. He also seems to have the absolute worst sense of timing of any driver of this era. Since leaving Renault the first time, he's tended to wind up at the wrong place at the wrong time or the right place at the wrong time. With his luck, it wouldn't surprise me if Monaco is a weather related toss up, with Button getting on the podium, while Alonso's Honda blows up on the last lap while he's in the lead at Indy.

Again, not a fan. But I like to see great drivers go out with some dignity. So I'd like to see him in a competitive McLaren next year, or maybe a return to Renault and a steady collection of points.

[Koz]

Is it too late for Fred to join Le Mans this year?

[Stan Reid]

It looks like he will be doing a test drive at Indy tomorrow.

[gm99]

Yes, and it's being broadcast at racecontrol.indycar.com (or https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UXh9uxthFnk)

[Koz]

So what do you guys make of yesterday's test?

[mr_swiss]

I think it was a smooth first outing.
Consistently in the 221 to 222 MPH.
Andretti racing definitely liked the additional data gathered today.
Would have been nice if he could have done at least one oval race before the 500 to get used to other cars, drafting and turbulence following others.
I love Indy Car, and super happy about all the additional attention.
Montoya and Alonso dueling it out for the win would be pretty amazing.

[The Black Knight]

I think it was a smooth first outing.
Consistently in the 221 to 222 MPH.
Andretti racing definitely liked the additional data gathered today.
Would have been nice if he could have done at least one oval race before the 500 to get used to other cars, drafting and turbulence following others.
I love Indy Car, and super happy about all the additional attention.
Montoya and Alonso dueling it out for the win would be pretty amazing.

Was great watching him go out and do his first laps. He was on the pace immediately. I honestly think he can win Indy 500. He is one of the best of all time so really there is nothing stopping him except inexperience on oval circuits. Whether or not experience will be enough to deny him his first win or not, we'll see in time. It'll be the first time I have watched Indy 500 in years, looking forward to it.

[Stan Reid]

Alonso will get experience with other cars during all the days of practice although there is nothing exactly like racing. In the last days of practice, there can be upwards of 30 cars on the track at one time. He said the car was practically driving itself but, no doubt, the wings were tilted for major downforce. Things will be much tougher when the car is fully trimmed out for qualifying day. He's a great driver so I'm sure he can handle that.

[Starter]

Alonso will get experience with other cars during all the days of practice although there is nothing exacrly like racing. In the last days of practice, there can be upwards of 30 cars on the track at one time. He said the car was practically driving itself but, no doubt, the wings were tilted for major downforce. Things will be much tougher when the car is fully trimmed out for qualifying day. He's a great driver so I'm sure he can handle that.
Yes, it brings much needed interest to what otherwise would be just another dull spec IRL Indy 500. I realize that this dead horse has long rotted away, but I'd still like to see real innovation at the 500 again.

[Nitrodaze]

The Triple Crown of Motorsport is winning:

the Indy 500

the Monaco Grand Prix

the 24 Hours of Le Mans

JPM is the only active driver that has won 2 of the 3

Thats what they say. But it kind of is a lower bar by todays standard. To my mind, the triple should be winning one F1 driver championship [including Monaco], winning the Indy 500 and winning the Le Mans 24 hours in the premier category in first position l might add.

But that is a tall order, and puts the possibility of a triple outside the reach of other drivers that may not win the F1 WDC but can win Monaco and the other two. Kind of like Hulkenburg who is on his way there.

[AndyL]

Thats what they say. But it kind of is a lower bar by todays standard. To my mind, the triple should be winning one F1 driver championship [including Monaco], winning the Indy 500 and winning the Le Mans 24 hours in the premier category in first position l might add.

Why include the F1 drivers championship but not the Indycar championship or the WEC championship?

I don't think it's a low bar at all. (Did you mean that as a slight to JPM? ;) ) The fact that no-one's done it for 45 years suggests it's no cakewalk.

[Nitrodaze]

Why include the F1 drivers championship but not the Indycar championship or the WEC championship?

I don't think it's a low bar at all. (Did you mean that as a slight to JPM? ;) ) The fact that no-one's done it for 45 years suggests it's no cakewalk.

It is no cakewalk, hence why l sort of changed my mind mid-post. Doing it at championship level is a new ball game. It would be great to see if anyone can do that.

[Tazio]

What it really comes down to is that these are three iconic races, and importantly with very long traditions. Look at the list of drivers that have two legs:
Tazio Nuvolari
Maurice Trintignant
A.J.Foyt
Bruce McLaren
Jochen Rindt
JPM
Of these guys only Foyt, and JPM have won the Indy 500.
How about the guys that aren't on the list:
Schumacher
Mansell
Prost
Senna
Stewart
Clark
Fangio
and more.
My point is the first list is not a list of better drivers than the one that followed. It is simply three races, that depending on your orientation you competed in the three, and maybe had a little luck (financial backing) along the way. Just for an illustration Maurice Trintignant competed in F1 from 1950-1964 he had two race wins, both at Monaco

[Stan Reid]

What it really comes down to is that these are three iconic races, and importantly with very long traditions. Look at the list of drivers that have two legs:
Tazio Nuvolari
Maurice Trintignant
A.J.Foyt
Bruce McLaren
Jochen Rindt
JPM
Of these guys only Foyt, and JPM have won the Indy 500.


And, I believe Rindt was the only other to even give Indy a try.

[Tazio]

And, I believe Rindt was the only other to even give Indy a try.Tazio had a DNQ in 1938, but I don't know the circumstances. Any info would be appreciated

[airshifter]

It was great to see Alonso finally hoist that pig up some in Spain, but I'm sure driving at Indy was already on his mind. It will be interesting to see how he does in such a different type of car, and how he handles pace and traffic.

[Tazio]

Quali dawgzzz! Alright McFred at p3 about half-way through the session!

[Starter]

Third fastest after his qually run. It may not hold till the end though.

[Tazio]

Oh man Bourdais just came unglued at about 232mph. I hope he is ok!

[Starter]

Oh man Bourdais just came unglued at about 232mph. I hope he is ok!
Yeah, that was a pretty good nose in hit. I always worry about the driver's legs when they hit the wall like that..

[Tazio]

Yeah I didn't realize how direct of an angle it was until they just showed the replay. I'll be surprised if he comes out of this unscathed!

Edit:

Sebastien Bourdais suffered "multiple fractures to his pelvis and a fracture to his right hip" after a horror crash during qualifying for the Indy 500.

[Bagwan]

Harsh hit for the ex-F1 driver , Bourdais .
It's going to take him a while to come back as there's a lot of bed time in his future right now .

Nice job by Rossi , going fast right afterwards .
And , great job by Taku , too .

But , tough for JPM , going out so early .

So , Alonso can look around at his F1 compatriots and see everything from disaster to the front row .



I remember watching the 500 back in the '60s on "Wide World of Sports" , when all we got for races to watch was this race and Monaco .
Having an current F1 driver in the field feels like the good old days .

It kinda makes me feel like a kid again , in the excitement for the race .

[Tazio]

Harsh hit for the ex-F1 driver , Bourdais .
It's going to take him a while to come back as there's a lot of bed time in his future right now .

Nice job by Rossi , going fast right afterwards .
And , great job by Taku , too .
Yes great for Taku, and Rossi


But , tough for JPM , going out so early .

I think Juan will work his way forward. He needs to find more speed today. Go Juan!

So , Alonso can look around at his F1 compatriots and see everything from disaster to the front row .



I remember watching the 500 back in the '60s on "Wide World of Sports" , when all we got for races to watch was this race and Monaco .
Yes I remember that well. We've become the old timers

Having an current F1 driver in the field feels like the good old days .

It kinda makes me feel like a kid again , in the excitement for the race
Amen brother

[Nitrodaze]

Glad to hear he gets to walk ( maybe hobble) away from this one. He was on course to topple the best time if he had completed that lap. It is pain killers for a few years from now on. I wonder if he is going to hang up his gloves and boot; retire or something. My guts tell me, he may get into another car when he recovers. Whatever he decides, l genuinely wish him well on his recovery.

[Bagwan]

Yes great for Taku, and Rossi



I think Juan will work his way forward. He needs to find more speed today. Go Juan!

Yes I remember that well. We've become the old timers
Amen brother

I remember seeing a sign at the F1 Indy race in 2000 saying "Montoya is coming !" , and relishing the thought .
Go JPM , for sure !

And , who you callin' "old timer" , you "young whipper-snapper" !
Why , I oughta' .........

[Tazio]

New Honda Engine for Alonso

More Honda problems for Fred :rolleyes:

Alonso had had no reported engine problems on his No. 29 McLaren/Andretti Autosport Honda this week but, following Saturday’s[Sundays] practice session in which he set the fastest average speed at 231.317 mph, videos on social media showed smoke coming out of Alonso’s car in the garage. The engine was changed as a precaution


Why , I oughta' ......... :blackeye: :D

[Bagwan]

5th for Zo , 3rd for Rossi , and 4th for ol' "no pen" .

F1 well repped .

[Bagwan]

New Honda Engine for Alonso

More Honda problems for Fred :rolleyes:


:blackeye: :D

Just saw that "Bagey" bit .
Yer good , dude !
Just about did a "spit take" there .

That'd be an El Grande Touche to you , eh .

[Tazio]

Yeah babe! :dork:

[Stan Reid]

Unless Chevrolet has a new package, I expect Alonzo will qualify in the top 6.

:D Tuhdah!

[airshifter]

Spots 3, 4, and 5 filled with F1 drivers. Safe to say they represented very well.

Scary hit by Boudais.

[Tazio]

Dude, how totally ghetto. That food sucks. I can't believe guys in this income bracket would even consider eating that garbage! :confused:
Dude their are plenty of authentic "fast food" Mexican restaurants nearby I'm sure!
https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/22/sports/indy-500-scott-dixon-robbed-with-dario-franchitti.html?_r=0
So weak,I'd be embarrassed to admit I even ate at that grease-pit!

[Tazio]

Terrible crash for Dixon 1/4 way through. Fred in the lead, Red flag.

[steveaki13]

Have to say Alonso is doing a great job. Not long to go now. Dont think he will win but a great effort. The guy is class and deserves a decent F1 drive once more.

[AndyL]

Honda engine failure for Alonso... he might as well have done Monaco :)

[gm99]

Oh the irony - Alonso out with a Honda engine failure. He could have had that at Monaco...

Still a good chance for an ex-F1 driver to win it, with Chilton leading from Sato at the moment.

[AndyL]

Question: how will it look for Indycar if the race is won by the current leader, whose chief claim to fame beforehand was outpacing Rio Haryanto in GP2?
;)

[Zico]

Oh the irony.. I can't quite believe Honda's claimed competitive and reliable Indycar power unit has died on Fernando here too... of all the possibilities I didn't see this one coming.

Maybe the problem is Fernando and not Honda? :o

[AndyL]

Taku!

[truefan72]

Takuma Sato!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Yes!

I've been having a pretty awful weekend.
My Crank Case Ventilation Valve, Oil Separator failed on my BMW X5 - $1000 repair job
Chelsea lost the FA cup ( my fav team)
Hamilton failed in qualy and finished 7th in rthe race
alonso's bloody honda engine blows on him
...but Takuma Sato redeems it all for me after the epicness of 2012 this is awesome
a bit emotional :)

[Zico]

The F1 boys certainly gave a good showing today!

Congrats Takuma!

Very unlucky Fernando..

[truefan72]

The F1 boys certainly gave a good showing today!

Congrats Takuma!

Very unlucky Fernando..

and don't forget Max Chilton finishing 4th and leading with 4 laps to go

[yodasarmpit]

Gutted for Nando, at least Taku got it in the end.

[Zico]

Japanese driver, PR redemption for Honda..

Imagine how big a blow it would have been for them if a Chevrolet powered car had won after Alonso's engine failed.

[Tazio]

Congrats to Taku, tough break for Fred!

[AAReagles]

Yes, it brings much needed interest to what otherwise would be just another dull spec IRL Indy 500. I realize that this dead horse has long rotted away, but I'd still like to see real innovation at the 500 again.


I absolutely agree on all points made.

The 500 is a mere shadow of what it once was, nevertheless it was good to see a F1 regular dismiss Monaco for a crack at this event, no matter what the motives were.

Unless I missed something during the last 15 or so years, I can't recall another F1 full-timer by-passing Monaco for Indy, since Andretti in the late 70's.

Glad to see it.

And hope he gives another crack at it

[N. Jones]

Chilton!

Alonso!

Sato!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I was SO happy when he won the race. He used to be quite reckless but he settled down and held off a veteran for the win!

F1 alums everywhere! So nice to see.

[The Black Knight]

Delighted for Sato. Amazing to think that his career could have ended up as a chef.

Gutted for Alonso. I really felt he deserved more than what he got but once again Honda couldn't make an engine last the distance. Sucks big time. What an impressive performance from the one true great of the current F1 crop. Provide once again that he is one of the greatest of all time and that is no surprise.

[steveaki13]

I couldnt watch the whole race but delighted for Takuma Sato. He is such a nice guy and has battled away in Indy car over recent years.

Gutted for Alonso but he put on a good show. Great effort by a class driver.

Unlucky for Max Chilton too. Just couldn't handle the pressure and pace right at the end.

Goes to show what the forum is now that there is more Indy 500 chat on the F1 forum than the Indy car one.....

[zako85]

but I'd still like to see real innovation at the 500 again.

There won't be real innovation in the IndyCar until more people watch it. Poor TV ratings mean poor sponsorship and that most teams outside of the top three must run on a shoestring budget. Most teams can barely afford to buy and service their spec chassis right now.

[Bagwan]

All eyes at the afternoon start to the dinner party shifted towards me when I screamed "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !" when I saw the smoke from the edge of my seat on the couch .

Zo was done .
I turned it off .

One of my guests turned to me and said "You're turning it off ?" .

I'm glad he did .

It snapped me back into remembering that my boy Taku was still in with a real shot , so on went the TV again and they heard me screaming a resounding "YEEEEEEEEEES !" only twenty or so laps later .

So , thanks Doug .



That win couldn't happen to a nicer guy .
Now he's a legend .

[Triumph]

Excellent performance by Alonso. Shame about the car, but at least he got a chance to show his talents.

I don't know what Alonso's plans are now, but I had a thought that if he won the Indy 500 this time, he would leave F1 quite swiftly in order to work on achieving the final part of the Triple Crown at Le Mans. Perhaps with some confidence of an equally-fast but more reliable car next year for Indy, he might continue with McLaren in F1, then if he wins the Indy 500 next year he'll be off pursuing the Triple Crown then instead.

[zako85]

Alonso should pull a Nigel Mansell by signing up full-time in IndyCar in 2018 (like Mansell did in 1993) and winning the championship.

[airshifter]

I think Alonso proved just how quickly he was comfortable in that car, and I seriously doubt that anyone thought he didn't at least have a solid chance at a top five, if not a podium. Even though the last laps can get a little wild at Indy, he seemed to really figure things out quickly. And even though the Honda engine failed not unlike has happened many times in F1 recently, at least it held together long enough for him to run up front and in the lead, something unlikely to happen any time soon in the F1 car. It was a bummer to see that engine let go on him.

As for Sato, pleased but personally a bit shocked. He seemed less stable, and I didn't think he would pull it off. Well done!

[zako85]

Indy 500 is a fun race, but things that went in it underscore just how dangerous this form of racing is. Nothing has really changed since 2011. Drivers get injured on regular basis. First, Bourdais crashed in the qualifying requiring surgery from broken hip and fractured pelvis. He is confident he can return to racing for the season's end. Next, Dixon's crash looked horrendous. While Scott Dixon was able to walk away, I suspect we were lucky those two crashes weren't worse.

[mr_swiss]

I was really impressed with Alonso. Not just how well he raced, but also the way he acted. I thought he would behave like a prima donna. I'm so happy he came here and made a huge fan out of me and probably some more. Hats off Fernando.
Hope he'll be back next year.

[Jag_Warrior]

What it really comes down to is that these are three iconic races, and importantly with very long traditions. Look at the list of drivers that have two legs:
Tazio Nuvolari
Maurice Trintignant
A.J.Foyt
Bruce McLaren
Jochen Rindt
JPM
Of these guys only Foyt, and JPM have won the Indy 500.
How about the guys that aren't on the list:
Schumacher
Mansell
Prost
Senna
Stewart
Clark
Fangio
and more.
My point is the first list is not a list of better drivers than the one that followed. It is simply three races, that depending on your orientation you competed in the three, and maybe had a little luck (financial backing) along the way. Just for an illustration Maurice Trintignant competed in F1 from 1950-1964 he had two race wins, both at Monaco

I'm not sure where Juancho stands on racing at Le Mans, but I'd love to see him in a good car at Le Mans before he hangs up his helmet. That would give him Monaco, the Indy 500, the CART championship, NASCAR wins and Rolex 24 wins, as well as Le Mans. That would be one hell of a career accomplishment.

The two that I'm surprised that didn't win Monaco (to go along with their Indy victories) are Mario Andretti and Emmo Fittipaldi.

Sucks for Alonso. I didn't watch the race (only saw the last three laps), but when I saw a replay of Alonso's engine smoking, I can't say that I was surprised. He lost one in practice or qualifying too, didn't he? Does the IRL require engines to be picked at random? How can a guy have that much bad luck???

[Jag_Warrior]

There won't be real innovation in the IndyCar until more people watch it. Poor TV ratings mean poor sponsorship and that most teams outside of the top three must run on a shoestring budget. Most teams can barely afford to buy and service their spec chassis right now.

Even though they'll still be spec cars, I'm pretty impressed with the bodywork changes being proposed for the near future. From what I understand, the IRL is making a sincere effort to pick up styling cues from the CART era and Champ Car... including the roll hoop and losing the airbox, as well as losing the baby buggy bumpers. From the renderings, it looks like a very clean and attractive design.

[Owain]

Alonso should pull a Nigel Mansell by signing up full-time in IndyCar in 2018 (like Mansell did in 1993) and winning the championship.

I followed his progress in the Indy 500 and I was cheering him on until ...

But, having been a fan since his very first season in F1 in 2001, I want him to stick around longer. I'm convinced that he's better than both Hamilton and Vettel, and even if he's not, he still deserves more than the two championships he has.

[Starter]

Indy 500 is a fun race, but things that went in it underscore just how dangerous this form of racing is. Nothing has really changed since 2011. Drivers get injured on regular basis. First, Bourdais crashed in the qualifying requiring surgery from broken hip and fractured pelvis. He is confident he can return to racing for the season's end. Next, Dixon's crash looked horrendous. While Scott Dixon was able to walk away, I suspect we were lucky those two crashes weren't worse.
I'm not sure what else you could expect when the lap speeds are consistently well over 200 mph for the whole lap. That's a lot of energy to dissipate when something goes wrong. Still, those crashes weren't bad at all compared to not all that long ago when a regular feature of the event was a death or two.

[gm99]

Still, those crashes weren't bad at all compared to not all that long ago when a regular feature of the event was a death or two.

The last driver to be killed in the Indy 500 was Swede Savage in 1973, 44 years ago. Since then, three more drivers (Smiley in 1982, Marcelo in 1992 and Brayton in 1996) have died during the month of May and one (Renna in 2003) during testing at another time.

So fortunately, the days when a death or two was a regular feature are indeed long ago.